Legends of the Garou: Eye of Anubis
by Alpha Wolfie
Summary: This is a tale of a Silent Strider whelp, born to auspicious stars and given a destiny to live up to. Could he truly be the reborn soul of Anubis, the great Jackal-headed God of Egypt? Follow this tale if you wish, and the stars shall shine on your path..
1. Prologue: Birth of a Destiny

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**Birth of a Destiny**

Life began underneath the crescent moon with the first few whining breaths for he who would be (eventually) called "Eye of Anubis." He had been born in captivity within the confines of a Southern Oregon wolf sanctuary, outside of the city of Merlin. From his very first moments it was evident that there was something special about this fledgling pup. Even the kinfolk handlers who tended the lupine kin saw and could feel that he was different.

His Garou father was a lupus-born Athro of the Silent Striders by the name of "Heart of Anubis," a Garou of great renown. In his few short years Heart had felled a great number of minions of the Wyrm. He was known for having a furor in battle unlike any other Philodox, rending and tearing with the savagery of a battle-hardened Ahroun and outwitting his opponents with the fierce cunning of a Coyote-born Ragabash.

Heart had been present at the birthing of his son who was litter-mate to four other siblings. There seemed to be something different about this one male whelpling, however... It was evident given the short, glossy black fur and his slightly misshapen features; jackal-like in their own right, that he was birthed with blood-recognition of his pure ancestry. Even as a pup, he had a shine to his coat like none other of his age. Another strange thing: very much unakin to other newborn pups, this one had been born with one of his eyes open, and apparently capable of seeing.

When Heart saw this, he beseeched a Kin-Fetch spirit to look after and protect this pup, who he would name Anub'ru until he was ready to earn his deed-name. He felt deep within his heart that while he loved for all of his children, Anub'ru was destined for greatness. The years that followed would turn out to prove Heart quite right...

The first year in his life was not unlike any other wolf pup's, save that Anub'ru was often seen growling or yipping at things that were unseen by the others. Even the Kinfolk handlers couldn't seem to make out what it was that Anub'ru was so interested in. He was marked for observation by the lead handler, as they felt there might be something wrong with this yearling, perhaps a mental deficiency.

Months of observation went by; he was taken into the medical labs to be scanned for any anomalies within his brain, he was tested with chemicals and he was psycho-analized by a number of handlers at the sanctuary... but nothing seemed conclusive. Finally, the lead handler decided that it might be a good idea to make contact with his "Furry Friends."

A phone call was placed to the local Sept. John, lead handler of the Merlin Wolf Sanctuary spoke with "Ghost Paws" - a Theurge who assisted the Eldest. Ghost Paws informed John that she would come by and have a look at the pup.

It was later that evening... Ghost Paws had decided to make her arrival in secret. She had instructed John to leave Anub'ru in the observation kennels inside. The Uktena Theurge slowly slipped between the strands of pattern-web that were kept taught, holding the umbral reflection of the building they were in together. Finally, when she had made it inside, she started to make her way to the kennels. The entire time she was peeking across the veil to locate this pup, but when she finally came upon him, she noted something very peculiar. Anub'ru was staring right back at her, crouched in a position as if readied to leap at her.

And then he did; he pushed off with his paws in a ferocious leap at the Theurge who remained still watching in amusement and wonder. As Anub'ru sailed through her umbral form, (as obviously he would since he was still in the material portion of the Tellurian) he tumbled onto the floor once again, seemingly startled and confused all at once. Ghost Paws had ascertained that Anub'ru was indeed seeing into the Umbra. This was when she decided to cross the veil again, appearing fully tangible.

Anub'ru's hackles raised as the intruder came into his cage. He began to snarl, growl and otherwise make quite a ruckuss; but then he heard something that caused him to immediately stop his griping.

"Be silent whelp, and answer my questions. I am Mother Ghost Paws, daughter of Great-mother Luna's Chosen. I am told that you see things..." She spoke to him.

Anub'ru seemed concerned that this woman was speaking in his tongue... but, he felt the words urged out from his muzzle before even he was thinking them. "Yes Ghost Paws-rhya. I see many things. Of which do you inquire?" His eloquence seemed alien to emanate from a Lupus Garou, especially one so young... and yet it was evident that he was not the only one speaking. It seemed as if an Ancestor was speaking through him, and yet Ghost Paws knew there were no known Ancestors of the Silent Striders. No... it had to be a past-life.

"To whom am I speaking?" Inquired Ghost Paws.

The yearling looked at her, cocking his head and perking his ears as if intrigued. "I am Son of Anubis, progenitor of Anub'ru's line... and I am Anub'ru. And I am his grandfather."

A look of awe crossed Ghost Paws' features as she thought momentarily this might finally be a connection to the Striders' past. She was a friend of Heart of Anubis, and he had sung many tales to her of the lost homeland of the Striders, and the loss of their ancestors from Sutekh's curse. Could it be that Anub'ru was a link to their past? "Son of Anubis-rhya, your presence astounds me... but this young ling, he is no changer. He is Kinfolk..."

"One begets the other. When the moon crescents on the night of the upcoming Blood War, he shall be known for his true nature. Bring him to the front." The otherwise young features of the yearling seemed to take on a wisdom of the ages with each word that was spoken. He seemed thoughtful, as if contemplating every word he spoke.

"Yes, honored Elder." Ghost Paws bowed her head to the young ling, just as John had come walking into the room. Of course, there was nothing for him to see, save for an Athro of the Uktena lowering her head in reverence to a simple yearling. There was confusion evident on the face of the handler, but he didn't say anything just yet.

Finally, the glint within the eyes of the yearling passed, and the demeanor of a yearling returned to the pup. He pounced at Ghost Paws, nearly sending her reeling from shock alone. A lot had been coursing through her head, and she knew she had a tale to bring to Heart of Anubis. There was much to do in preparation of this... but then it hit her. "War of Blood?" What in the hell was Son of Anubis talking about?

"Ghost-rhya?" Finally John spoke.

Turning a sharp glance toward him, which might have been slightly more impressive if she had not been sprawled out on the floor with a yearling sitting on her chest. "Yes, Johnathon?"

He looked at her, nearly choking back a laugh. He knew the Garou were not ones who could withstand humiliation very well, and since he didn't want to be on the menu any time soon, he utilized his willpower to remain unlaughing. "Uh, I was wondering if you had determined anything regarding Anub'ru? Is he well, or will he need special attention?"

Without even thinking her words through, she spoke, "He is well... and he will need special attention. I will be taking him with me."


	2. Heeding the Ancestor's Call

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**Heeding the Ancestor's Call.**

Ghost Paws hadn't wasted any time in whisking him away to a new life. She thought that perhaps he needed to learn of what he was, even if he hadn't become "Garou." Surely that was one of the advantages that the cursed Metis children had over other Garou; they were raised among the society and thus knew much more than those who were new cubs.

She took him through the Umbra where Anub'ru seemed little bothered by his surroundings, contrary to most "first trips" into the alien landscape. But she could guess he'd seen it before... it was as if Anub'ru was quite used to seeing the denizens of the Umbra; the spirits and the other entities within it's vast and changing landscape. Instead of acting wierded out, he seemed quite intrigued...

When finally he reached the bawn of the Caern, surrounded by a large network of huge and ancient tree spirits, Anub'ru began to freak out a little. Sure, he was used to seeing some of the spirits naitive to the area surrounding the sanctuary, but now he was seeing other spirits... some far more alien. Some more scary... and some, rightfully so.

The trees at the bawn were en wreathed in circles of War Spirits, dancing and chanting their rage-inspiring anthems. These strange embodiments of all things warlike seemed to disturb the young yearling greatly; and he clawed and pawed, pushed and pulled, doing everything he could to try to escape the grip that Ghost Paws had on him... but to no avail. She was ready for this, even if she was taken aback by his seeming lack of fear from most of the other spirits.

When she approached the War Spirits, they all stopped their Anthem and brought themselves to a spiritual "attention." She walked right by them, but they focused their glares on the new arrival in her arms. One of them threatened to reach outward to touch the young ling and was bit on it's... appendage[?] for it's troubles.

Threatening an all-out attack on the insolent whelp, it reared back, manifesting a vast scythe and beginning to swing for the small furry bundle. Suddenly Anub'ru found himself tossed into the air as a blur of motion erupted underneath him. Ghost Paws took to rending the spirit in a flurry of quick and sharp tearing motions, stopping just before discorporating the spirit. It halted its attack, noting the displeasure of the Athro spirit-tender. Standing again to regain its composure, it stood back at attention again as a soldier who had just been dressed down by its commander.

This all took place while Anub'ru was flipping through the air, and just as it seemed he would tumble as a furry meteorite to the hard ground, Ghost Paws came to catch him in just the same way he was held through the entire trip. A little unnerved but otherwise unharmed, Anub'ru settled back into her comforting grasp, and allowed her to carry him into the Caern, past the well defended bawn.

When finally they had trekked down the umbral trail which ended in front of a small hut in the forest, she began to press against the world, seemingly breaking through walls that weren't even there. It was as if glass panes were shattering and reforming around her with every millimeter of movement, glass that was unyielding and yet refused to cut or slice at her or his flesh. The feeling was unlike any other... save for the first experience he'd had when she first pulled him across. It was such a uniquely terrifying and amazing experience that Anub'ru was almost saddened when finally they reformed within the "real world" again.

A month had already come and gone as Anub'ru was being overseen by the Den Mother of the Caern. The Sept of the Roses oversaw this Caern of Wisdom which was situated within the valley of Roseburg, OR... a mere ten miles outside of town. His father Heart had been delivered the news by Ghost Paws herself; news which brought him to elation at seeing his destiny begin to prove itself. There was a legacy within his lines, and his son would be the proof of it.

The night of the monthly Moot had come up; Garou from all around the area came to celebrate the turning of another lunar cycle and to revel in the gifts of the Earth Mother. Drunkenness, debauchery, and the other festivities that were usually seen at moots were present. The young Kinfolk (as Anub'ru was being considered, given his lack of a change) and cubs were still to be kept back in the whelp dens. They often could be heard from their dens howling and yipping to answer the howls and calls their family were emanating during the revelry. The Elders of the Sept always found humor in this; one of the few things they could unanimously agree upon.

But the night wasn't going to be so easily over. The Garou had prepared the rite of the Great Hunt, and all Garou who were present were set loose to hunt down the Engling spirit. But back at the bawn, other more dangerous plots were unraveling. A small handful of Fomori scouts were being led by a Black Spiral Dancer through the underbrush of the forest. The Warders of the Caern were at their posts, but these Wyrm creatures were good; they utilized the sounds of the revelry to make their entry into and past them more stealthy.

Sneaking past the sentries and making damn certain to stay out of sight of the Sept-wide hunting party, these devious and vile creatures made their way into the camp and over toward the only other place they heard sound – the whelp dens. Of course, the Spiral knew right where he was going... At one point in his life, he had been a Warder of the Caern, that was until the night when he was captured and forced to dance the Spiral. Now, this once-proud Fianna was a loathsome Black Spiral Dancer. And his marks this time were the young ones of the Sept.

Slinking into the caves the Fomori (who were carrying silenced pistols loaded with silver ammunition) led by the Dancer came across the playing pups. Most of them didn't even take notice of the crew at first; that is, except for Anub'ru. Immediately his hackles raised as he stared at the creatures. Growling, he caught the attention of the other cubs and Kinfolk, who followed suit. The Dancer chuckled at their show of insolence, and ordered the Fomori to take care of the whelps while he went back to watch their backs at the cave entrance.

Obliging their master, the grotesque wastes of human-flesh began to open fire, starting to pick off each of the wolves in their sight. Anub'ru wasn't having any of it, and immediately he lept at the Fomori closest to him when as if by a miracle, an Owl had come out of nowhere to catch the nearly-flying cub and to direct him to landing at the Fomori's throat. The gaffling spirit was protecting one who would one day be his responsibility to look after...

Landing on the Fomori, Anub'ru's fangs ripped into the throat and made efficient and quick work of this one, especially for one of his own size. Other Kinfolk were falling from the gunfire, whereas the cubs in the cave suddenly grew into their War Forms. Silver ammunition cut them down to size, but not enough to kill them before they struck their killing blows on the remaining Fomori. When it seemed they were about to go to the front of the cave and confront the Black Spiral Dancer, Anub'ru sat on the ground in their ways, and he looked up at them with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Do not be fools! Run to the back of the caves! I will fetch the others!"

The cubs looked at him in shock of the sound of the words coming from this pup. "How are you going to do that?" one asked of him.

"I shall worry about that, now go before you are killed! And defend the Kin!" Before he could even finish his sentence, the cubs began to high-tail it back toward the deeper reaches of the cave, almost as if they sensed the "Elder's" voice within him.

Looking upward as if he expected the assistance, the Owl Spirit appeared again and grabbed the small bundle of fur into his talons. Off they flew, up and over the head of the Black Spiral Dancer before he could even react, and luckily for Anub'ru, he was being covered by a stealth-gift from the spirit.

Soaring through the skies might have normally been unpleasant for one who was born of the Lupus, but Anub'ru didn't seem to mind this time, for whatever reason. When finally they landed, it was near the corpse of the fallen Engling spirit, where the majority of the other Garou were feasting and regaining their Gnosis.

The Sept Alpha approached the cub who was carried on the wings of the Owl Spirit. "What are you doing _here?_" he asked.

"The whelp dens! They are under attack! Hurry!" The words were more those of caution and less those of true fear. It was evident in his words that it was not simply the ramblings of a cub or Kinfolk. But with no hesitation, the Alpha emitted the Anthem of War, a shrill series of warnings in howl form, informing everyone where to go for the conflict. The Black Spiral Dancer heard this, and instead of running decided to try and at least make sure the mission was finished.

The Dancer ran deeper into the caves just as the Warders appeared on scene, shortly followed by nearly every other Garou in the Caern it seemed. Moving with a grim cunning and a preternatural speed, he reached the area where the cubs had holed themselves up. He could hear the snarling of the Warders as they came in right after him; instead of immediately striking out at the injured cubs, he turned to confront the Warder who was upon him.

The Wendigo Ahroun came with a fury of claw strikes at the Dancer who parried each aside with a tenacious and malevolent agility. Delivering a sharp kick to the Wendigo's stomach, the Dancer (who was by that point in Crinos form as well) dropped his claws down to the Wendigo's neck and raked the flesh and tendons cleanly with his toxin-dripping claws.

Howling in pain, the Wendigo answered this blow by turning his head to go for the Spiral's neck, but it was too late. He had already ducked around behind the Wendigo, and was proceeding to plunge his claws into the sides of his neck, only this time the cruel talons didn't stop until they had severed the spinal cord and shattered the surrounding vertebrae of the Wendigo. The Warder fell to the ground as its head was severed, not so cleanly from its neck and in an insulting fashion, he threw the head back into the tunnels to strike another of the oncoming war party.

It was time to finish his job before he was killed, thought the Dancer. Leaping with claws that glistened with a mixture of blood and green toxic waste, he came down at the child only to be met by the sudden appearance of a tall Jackal-like Crinos... one he knew on sight as Heart of Anubis. Growling at the Dancer, Heart snarled at him "What on Gaia's Earth are you doing, Storm Striker?!"

"Don't you see, Heart? For every visitation of destruction your kind wreaks upon ours, we will exact even greater vengeance!" Storm Striker, the Dancer growled back in poisoned words.

"Your kind? Our kind? ...then you have forsaken your people! Death awaits your traitorous soul, and I shall not keep him waiting." The Philodox howled loudly right into the face of the Dancer, a howl that was louder than it should have been, save for the intervention of spirits. It obviously had shaken Storm Striker because he hesitated in fear, just long enough for Heart to claim the advantage of acing on the faster tempo.

Setting to work, Heart pulled out his D'siah and began slicing Storm into ribbons. Even though pain was evident on the eyes of the Dancer, he still fought back unwilling to go down without a fight. He snarled as he dug his teeth into Heart's shoulder, but Heart threw him off and to the ground, coming down with his D'siah again, only this time hooking the front of the curved blade deep into the chest of his adversary. Feeling the wrenching of the blade as it twisted his insides around, the Spiral immediately began vomiting blood, and in one final movement Heart stepped down with a heavy foot crushing the throat of the turncoat. Internal bleeding might have killed him from mere blood loss had he not been forced to drown in his own blood first; for when he went to vomit again, the blood had nowhere else to go but into his lungs... a gruesome death for a deserving Dancer.


	3. The Mourning After

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**The Mourning After...**

In the nights that passed, funerary rites were performed for the young Kinfolk who had essentially been slaughtered on the whole-sale. Numerous cleansing rites were performed in attempts to banish the lingering malaise of bane spirits from the sanctum of their holy site. Not a single member of the Caern could bring themselves to any emotion other than anger or sadness... two which were extremely dangerous emotions for Garou society.

After the last of the kin had been laid to rest in a burial proper for any warrior of Gaia, the Elders of the various assembled tribes called a meeting at the Caern heart. Just as the assembly had gathered, Heart of Anubis came forward, standing along-side the Sept Alpha, Neo "Pulls the Plug". The tougher-than-nails Glass Walker Ragabash who had fought long and hard to obtain the rank of Elder was standing before them. Turning to Heart, he nodded his head then turned back to address the Garou who gathered.

"This is a grim mark on the sanctity of our Caern. While our backs were turned, celebrating our holy rites, our enemy marched right up our spines and delivered a sharp and painful blow. There is no need to recount the damage they caused, save to let it be known that the souls of our kin now rest safely in Gaia's warm grasp. But let us not forget them, either. Let us remember these young kin and their bravery in their last moments; let us use that memory to fuel our rage! Let us carry that memory as we ford onward, ready to strike mercilessly into the hearts of our enemies! "

There was a general uprising of cheers and growls from the surrounding mass of Garou. Along with those, however, a young lupus voice came up, yipping in from underneath one of the Metis nearby the front. "Alpha, Alpha! I speak, I speak!"

Suddenly all went quiet as the communion of Garou present started glancing around. Most of them turned to face the Metis who was in his Crinos form. He looked suddenly at his peers with a sheepish grin as if he felt uncomfortable with all of the staring that was going on, and in a quick movement he was pointing down between his legs at a fine young specimen of Strider Kinfolk. Anub'ru sat there, looking hopeful toward the Alpha of the Sept and ignoring the rest of the onsetting gazes.

Briefly, Neo turned to face his Beta and the young whelp's father. Heart gazed with a stern yet understanding look at his young son before turning back to face the Alpha. "It's your call, but it took a lot of guts to come here like that."

Ironically enough, the Glass Walker had a soft spot for cubs and young lings, having sired numerous litters himself. He nodded his head and turned toward Anub'ru, addressing him in the Lupus tongue.

"Okay. You come speak. But speak only of important things, lest you dishonor the memory of your fallen brethren."

Anub'ru seemed to understand as he padded his way over to the Caern heart. For a brief moment he sat, staring into the "Fires of Wisdom." When he turned again to address his Sept, his eyes had gone pale white. A few gasps from among the crowd showed the general tension and disbelief amidst the group as most saw what seemed as if an Ancestor Spirit were speaking through him... when in reality, it was his past-lives.

"Children of the Earth Mother, sons and daughters of Gaia, kissed of Luna and blessed of Helios, hear my words this night. A battle has been waged, and your pride has been wounded. Your children lie dead at your feet, and your enemies gloat at your indignance. But now is not the time for you to tuck your tails. Now is not the time for you to rage. Now is the time for cool collection and planning, for there is more to this attack than meets first glance."

The Garou were sitting, surrounding the young pup who spoke as if with the wisdom of the ages. A look of reverence and awe passed over the faces of the assembly, followed by contemplation and even some who bore the mark of shame knowing his words to be true.

"Take heed of my words. The attackers were simply the spear that struck you, not the hands that wielded the weapon. For this you must look to those of cursed blood. Signs, you shall find. A Coven, the Ankh, the Sword and the Bishop. These are your signs, and your enemies."

And with those final words spoken, Anub'ru's eyes focused back to their typical coloration, and he looked upward at his father. It was evident that he was a little nervous sitting in front of everyone, so his father reached down to pick up his son in his massive Crinos hands. Holding his son for all to see, he spoke to the masses.

"Anub'ru has delivered a message from our elders and their elders before them. Now is the time to act in reflection. Now we seek the Coven, the Ankh, the Sword, and the Bishop, who are related to those of cursed blood."

Neo, the Sept Alpha held up his hand as if to garner the attention of the masses. "Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters, Honored Ancestors, Ancient Spirits, Creatures of Gaia all! Those of cursed blood; wisdom and my ages tell me this bespeaks of Vampires, those of Caine's cursed brood!"

The echoing growls that ensued from this statement rumbled in the small cave-like structure. "Speak with your totems, seek the guidance of the wise ones, and prepare to drive our own spear into the hearts of our enemies! Tonight we plan. In a week's time, we kill!"

The charismatic nature of the Glass Walker had the group in an up-roar, howling, yipping and otherwise causing a ruckus. An hour later all was silent within the Caern as those same raving Garou were speaking with their totems and each other, plotting how they might find this information...

Almost an entire week had passed since the last meeting at the Caern heart when again the Sept was summoned by the normal Master of the Howl. Once again filing in, the Garou had spent the past week gathering information and making investigation runs into the city. Much had been determined, and the four packs of the Sept were ready to speak with their results.

Neo Pulls the Plug stood before the group once again, this time with two cockroach-emblazoned Fetish guns strapped to his homid form's hips. He stood before his Sept, and began to speak. The voice of a Ragabash was not there; no it was the voice of one who was a leader of many... his teacher's mindset was all that reflected his Ragabash nature at that point.

"Fellows! You have each been given your task! Now is the time for you to bring forward what you have learned! Alphas of the four packs, I shall call you up and you shall speak to your Sept-Mates! Speak in wisdom only, for misinformation may cost us lives. With that, Wind-Runner of the Bend River Pack, come forward."

Wind-Runner's pack had been tasked with finding out about the Coven. "We have searched far and wide for references to this. Very few references were available, but in a strange turn of events we came across a website which we found when cross-referencing the terms Cainite and Coven. The address was Sword of Caine dot com. Pretty strange, right? Well, looking into it, we found the address originated from a server in Portland. Our Theurge led us on a trek through the umbral web, and we came into the area. We monitored from across the Umbra, watching a group of monstrous looking creatures performing what almost looked like a ritual of some form. They stank to the high hells of the Wyrm, and it was all we could do to resist the urge to strike out at them then and there... but we did at least tear up a few Banes in the area before we made our return trek. Our Ragabash, when he smelled them, said they smelled like Vampires. So, as far as we know, they're a religious group of said Wyrm Creatures." With that, Wind-Runner nodded his head and returned to the sides of his pack-mates.

Neo nodded his head respectfully. "Good report. Next up, Ilianna Braveheart of the Celtic Heritage pack."

A sultry, fiery-headed woman stepped up before the flames of wisdom, glowing blue as they always had. She turned to address those present, and as she did, nearly every male in the audience had to chastise themselves for thinking such impure thoughts as they did... but they knew they couldn't touch, or risk violating the Litany.

"Alrighty. Me an' me pack-mates were set on the mission to discover the Ankh. Well, as it turns out, this was pretty easy. We talked to some locals in the occult community, and after sifting through some random babble about what religion it might belong to, they mentioned a strangely shaped Ankh that had appeared around town, again in Portland. A few of them seemed to know more about it, so upon meeting with them, they identified it as a mark that had to do with a blood cult of some form."

Some of the Garou who were present began to growl softly, listening to the words the sleek pack alpha spoke. "So, when we went into the city, we came across some flyers that were posted on various bulletin boards. They all had this strange ankh symbol, and spoke of a new club in town. It was supposedly a gothic industrial club, but when we got there we found the lights and music were nothin' more 'n a front. The place was crawlin' with bane spirits, and the scent of blood hung in the air like fresh and bleeding wounds. Anyhow, figuring it best to get our info safely back, we snuck out and came back. On our way out we heard a small tussle goin' on, an' one guy was yelling at another one about how he best shape up or the 'Sword of Caine" wouldna' have anythin' ta do with 'im again. So, we could surmise that the ankh is a code or maybe a symbolic marking or something to do with this cult of vampires."

Neo once again nodded his head. "Thank you Ilianna. Runs-like-Thunder of the 'Hands of the Grandfather' Pack, you were set to learn of the Sword."

A short, stocky man with golden hair and brilliant blue eyes came up to stand before the blue flame of wisdom. He paused, staring into it for a moment before addressing the assembly.

"I'm not going to bore you with a long story about who went where and how we found a bunch of trivial facts. Suffice it said I have good intelligence that pertains to this. The Sword, as mentioned in the young Strider-kin's prophecy speaks of a nickname already mentioned by the Celtic Heritage pack's leader. The Sword of Caine. These individuals belong to a sub-classification of vampires, or Cainites as they call themselves, known as the Sabbat. The Sabbat is one group of these despicable creatures, and they are known to be the greatest of adversaries to another 'sect' if you will, known as the Camarilla. In any case, the Sabbat are religious zealots, basically subscribing to a doomsday prophecy not unakin to some versions of our own Apocalypse tales. My contac... or, rather my research indicates that the club Ilianna spoke of is the front for their operation, but that attached to it must be their 'temple.' I believe this is all that I have to report at this time."

Numerous Elders of the Sept along with some not even of the ranking members of the Caern listened but viewed much of what Runs-like-Thunder had to say with some concern. It was obvious that he had some kind of contacts that were feeding him this information, and that meant he was associating with someone close enough to know it. A pair of Ragabash in the back of the assembly made silent note of it between the two, and would likely have set to plotting more had Neo not began to speak once again.

"Your report was very detailed, thanks Runs-like-Thunder. Now, lastly Kami of the Veil, alpha of the Whispers of the Souls Pack. I await your words on the Bishop."

A small framed oriental female began to make her slow trek to the flames of wisdom. As she passed Runs-like-Thunder, he eyed her with a slick grin which she returned only a pitying sigh to. Eventually she stood at the flame, dressed in her blue kimono. She took a moment to kneel before the fire and to gaze skyward, as if there was some element of her story she had yet to understand, or perhaps simply for the show. Impatience began to crawl through the audience like a plague, and he wolves began to move, stretching, and otherwise making their boredom and lack of amusement evident.

Kami then stretched her arms out to her sides, parallel to the ground, and withdrew two paper fans. She began to spin them in her fingers before moving to fan the Flame of Wisdom, and as she did the area around the Garou began to subtly shift and meld to take on an almost artistic landscape. The art style was evident of Japanese brush drawings, and each of the Garou present appeared to undergo a change to appear in a much more simplistic form. As the Shadows By the Firelight took full hold, the pretty young Stargazer began to speak. While she spoke in her native Japanese language, the pictures told the tale for her...

At first the Garou saw themselves in a field wherein there were two small armies. At one far end of the field, there was a force of individuals wearing what appeared as golden and ivory armor, carrying beautifully crafted swords and bearing an air of pomp and circumstance and an extremely regal front. Trumpeters stood before them, heralding their presence on the battle-field as led by the Prince of their army. The Trumpets bore a banner whereupon was the symbol of a Scepter in the middle of a variant of an Ankh... not entirely different but not entirely the same as the Sword of Caine's symbol.

At the other end of the field stood a dark and foreboding force, all dressed in what appeared to be priestly vestments and armors that bore markings akin to those of the catholic church. It appeared as if a Bishop was at the head of this army, and his acolytes began to walk before the rest of the army with censers drifing a reddish, putrid smoke. They bore the marking of the Ankh that had previously been associated with the Sword of Caine, and the Bishop wore the mark of a Crown emblazoned upon his vestments.

Those watching this tale unfold saw that both ends of the field where the armies stood had dry, barren, and dessicated earth as if the very life was sucked from it by the mere presence of such individuals. The skies were overcast, but clouds only seemed to form over the two factions on the field. In the middle, where the Garou found themselves standing, there was beautiful grass and sunlight shining down upon them. They watched as the Bishop stepped forward and waved his hand. Suddenly the image of Storm Striker, the once-Fianna gone Black Spiral Dancer came out running from behind his ranks. A morph of what seemed like paint seemed to wash over the scene as the battle between him and Heart of Anubis was shown again. At the conclusion of the fight, the Bishop stood to motion toward his army to hold their lines. The Prince of the regal army simply stood back and let the battle happen, as if he was uncaring of the outcome, and at its conclusion he had turned to walk back where he could stand surrounded by his allies. And just as the image had faded in, it suddenly faded back out with everyone coming to their senses again...

Some weren't sure if they understood, and others felt a profound wisdom had come to them. The other Galliards seemed to nod in approval of their sister's style, and while no words were spoken to greater elaborate, it was obvious who the Bishop was.

When the Shadows by the Firelight had ended, Kami slowly bowed to the group and Neo, the Alpha of the Sept began to applaud her storytelling. The rest of the Garou followed suit, until finally the cheers and growls died down when Neo took the spot before the Flames of Wisdom again.

"We have the information we're going to get. Now is time we put it to use. Tomorrow night, we sail the Umbral winds into the heat of battle!"


	4. Spilling of the Blood

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**Spilling of the Blood**

All of the Gaian warriors who held the rank to participate in this fight had armed themselves to the teeth. Heart of Anubis had been charged with leading the battle. Their target was a warehouse in the industrial district of Portland – a warehouse known for housing meat products.

Rites were performed, fetishes were grabbed from the arming room and talens were being created by the Theurges as just on the other side of the complex the Ahroun were leading an Anthem of War. Anub'ru, only a kinfolk in a midst of great warriors was seemingly unsure of what all was going on. While he had the guidance of his Past Lives at times, it wasn't enough to show him what truly was happening. He didn't understand the reason for all the hubbub, but all he knew was that he was going with.

Finally the hour came upon the Garou of the Sept. Some piled into vehicles while others took to the Umbra. Heart would lead the way for the Umbral group while Neo lead the charge for those who traveled within the physical world. Trotting alongside his father, the little jackal-wolf Anub'ru would follow along. Heart had given the order to one of the Theurges to give Anub'ru a talen; a small piece of deerskin leather which when bitten into would phase him across the Umbra into the real world once. So he trotted alongside his father, a Strider who was born of unbroken lineage to one of the greatest Striders ever known; Anubis. All of the commotion had the young ling scared, but he knew that he would have to do what he could... the question was, what could that be?

Unseen by most of the Garou there, an Owl spirit was soaring high above their Umbral war party. Spirit Wards kept most of the other spirits away, but this one was above such small measures. It was there to support Anub'ru, one who if he lasted long enough would one day be a great Silent Strider.

Finally they arrived at their destination. The Umbral landscape was littered with sickeningly twisted memorials; spiritual images that represented all of the misdeeds that had taken place. Banes flooded the area within the building, and it was deemed by communal convergence of the Theurges that the best tactic would be to place a Spirit Ward on the building, thus forcing them out. The fight would be bad enough with a slew of vampires to beat down, but to have wage a two-fronted war would almost be suicide.

They set to work performing the Spirit Ward which allowed time for the rest of the Sept to arrive in the physical world. At the activation of the ward, a great glowing glyph appeared on each of the faces of this Umbrally-dessicated building. Bane spirits began to flee the building left and right, all fleeing as if their own lives depended on it. This was just as the Theurges had planned... then they began to work their way into the building, immediately beginning to follow the path to the most corrupted areas.

The others waited outside of the building, perhaps but a block away. They were waiting for contact from the Umbral scouting team. Neo paced back and forth, obviously knowing that bloodshed was bound to occur and that he might lose a number of warriors from the Sept. But such would happen as it was Gaia's will that they combat the Wyrm wherever it dwells. And this time, they had made it personal.

Finally a signal beacon that Neo was holding onto began to show blips on the virtual map. He knew this was a marker for an entry point on the building. A second blip appeared, marking where the gathering of vampires was being held within the building, and the number 21 appeared on the screen to indicate the number of visible hostiles. It seemed strange that there were 20 Garou who were along for the mission, with 1 Kinfolk. The numbers just didn't sit well with the Glass Walker who was running some calculations within his mind. Snapping out of his reverie, he lead the group over to a small sub-floor entry.

As the physical war party beat the door in and began to shred away at the lowly peon who was guarding said door, it became evident that the local group was not without their guardians. A cluster of Shambling Hordes filled the hallway; while this wasn't really a threat to the enraged and battle-tested warriors, it was enough to make a ruckus to alert the other gathered Sabbat to their presence.

The Bishop had been holding a sermons of Caine just as the warriors breached their complex. Immediately their Marshal pack grabbed some weapons and headed out into the hallway. At the sight of the raging lupines, these Cainites began to yell back to their compatriots, alerting them to the nature of the attack. Just as they lifted their guns to fire at the wall of flesh and fur, Neo called upon a spiritual gift to jam all local technology, thereby rendering them useless. Clicks were all that were heard as they attempted to fire their weapons, and the pack threw them down to prepare for a melee and brawling fight.

Meanwhile, the Umbral squad all filtered out of the Umbra in a room adjacent to where the Bishop was holding his ritae. As they called upon their gifts, a swarm of fire elementals appeared and set out to wreak havoc through the hallway and into the Bishop's gathering. His eyes went serpentine and he grew into the form of a Typhonic Beast as the others gathered either frenzied or began to fight these otherworldly creatures.

Combat seemed much like a blur, and as it turned out these Sabbat weren't lacking in training. While their weapons were ineffective, their claws and fangs were less so. Casualties were being seen on both sides, though more on the part of the Cainites. Anub'ru, who was uncertain still what his reason for being there was prowled into the room where the Theurges were commanding their Elementals. When he got there, he found his father swinging a Klaive at the Bishop who merely took a blow while staring into the raging Crinos' eyes. Suddenly he stopped fighting as if entranced by the being. It was then that the rest of the Bishop's pack descended upon the Strider, and suddenly the tide was turned as his flesh and fur were being ravaged. Blood spurted out of claw and fang wounds, he was burned by torch-weapons and otherwise unable to act.

Anub'ru looked around in fear of the idea of his father's life being lost, and suddenly his eyes went milky white. No longer did fear control him. Rage began to bubble up within the young ling and his form began to change. Bones cracked as he made his ascent into his Hispo form, and he howled an eerie howl. Just then apparitions of ghostly individuals began to appear from the woodwork; the Sabbat members were being barraged by unseen forces and Heart was grappled across the Shroud only to begin levitating to all appearances. A Harbinger flew to the ceiling with Heart who had suffered some grievous wounds, and even he was taken aback by this. Struggling to free himself to no avail, he growled and clawed at the air around him.

The young one who had just made the first change leaped right at the serpentine Bishop. A small army of spirits of the dead was beginning to make work of the other pack-mates, this Serpent of the Light was still standing. The Strider cub leapt at him at a speed far beyond what the Serpent's eyes could track and he set to ravaging the snake. Claws landed in vicious blows just as teeth would sink into vital spots. Taken aback by the fury of this young one, the Serpent fell back a few paces and reached to batter the Dire-wolf form. Clubbing him over the head, he seemed unshaken by the blow only to return with his fangs at the throat of the Serpent.

Turning with the idea that escape was necessary, he reached for his pocket to withdraw a piece of chalk. He fell to the floor and started trying to draw what looked like a box, but Anub'ru was interrupting his movements with his savage attacks. The hastily-drawn door finally opened and the Serpent began to slip into the Shadow Lands, but he hadn't intended for Anub'ru to be attached to him at the time. The Strider's jaws had sank into the leg of the snake, and both of them tumbled across the Shroud into this dark and dank world. Looking around for anything that might be his salvation, the Serpent saw the number of dead who were there. Desperately trying to command one to his aid, he was only capable of earning their ire for even being present. The distraction from the pain and wounds inflicted upon him by the still frenzied Hispo were bearing down upon him. Just as a wraith drew close to the Serpent, seeming as if it were about to pull him from the attacking Garou, the massive jaws of the cub close down over the head of the offending snake. With a sickening crunch, the brain-matter soon decayed into naught but dust and ash and the frenzy subsided... tired and sore, the Hispo instinctively reverted to his Lupus form.

Still dazed from all that had happened, he cocked his head and looked up to realize that he was seeing things in a place that he usually could see, but that he wasn't seeing the normal overlay of the physical world.

Frightened he turned to run only to bump into the Harbinger that had helped his father. Bearing his fangs as instinct took over, the Harbinger merely grinned and commanded "Silence, whelp!"

The milky eyes had faded from the cub before ever finishing the fight, and now he was left to his own wisdom. Hearing the command of the denizen of the Shadow Lands, he ceased bearing his fangs and sat, looking upward.

"What have we here?" The wraith inquired.

"I know just as well as the rest of us here that the Quick have no place in our world. Charon's law dictates that we should not speak to you, and yet... I've never been one to follow such dictations."

The Lupus listened, not truly understanding the words that were spoken, but trying not to offend the one who had, after all, saved his father from death.

"But what to do with you? You can't stay here... you've got to go, son!"

It was just then that the figure of Anub'ru's father appeared with crossed legs seated on the ground just beside his son. Grabbing his son by the tail, he looked toward the Harbinger and spoke. "We apologize for our breach of your laws, oh Spirit. We shall take our leave."

And before the Harbinger could react, he once again phased across the Shroud with his son in his grasp. Reappearing in the physical world, Anub'ru could see the carnage that had been waged in his absence. A few of the Garou had fallen within the room in which he stood, but many more were the corpses and piles of dust that littered the area. Heart was wounded and still bleeding in a few places, and a nearby Theurge came to his aid, utilizing mother's touch to heal him of his most grievous wounds.

"This is a day of victory for Gaia on multiple fronts! For not only have we dispatched of a great Wyrm threat, but we have seen the enemies try and flee from our righteous might! But did that stop our onslaught? No! Even the lowest warriors among us proved their mettle today!" He motioned downward at his son, Anub'ru.

"I give unto you now the newest child of the Silent Striders. A newly forged Warrior of Gaia! One who felled an Elder Vampire whilst he sought his escape from our mighty talons! I give you Anub'ru!"

A pained cheer passed over the group who were assembled. It was a celebratory tone, and yet many of them were so wounded that they could not muster anything further... others were grieving for their lost comrades. Neo stepped to the head of the room. "Warriors of Gaia! Hear me!"

The assembled Garou brought themselves to attention as best they could, staring at their Alpha with pride and pain evident on their faces.

"Heart is right! Victory has been achieved! Let us take our fallen brothers and sisters and give them proper respects. Let us celebrate our victory!"


	5. Learning the Ways of Rightful Station

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**Learning the Ways of Rightful Station...**

The months that followed brought Anub'ru into the world of the Garou. He was taught many things by the younger Theurges, what it meant to be one of the Gaian mystics, how spirits played into the world the Garou and all the basics he would need to know. One thing that Anub'ru didn't know was coming, however, was a rare chance to become part of something larger...

The owl spirit that looked after Anub'ru sped off from him on the night of his first change. It had born the news of his felling of an Elder Serpent to a small cabal of Striders in the city of New York. They were known to their tribe to be experts on vampires and the methods of combating them, and his victory had pretty much sealed the deal on his offer of becoming a member of the Swords of Night.

As it was, members of the tribe were talking and sending word all over the Globe. The rumored return of Anubis' soul, a prophesied event that came about only once every so many hundred years was cycling quickly amidst the travelers. His lineage spoke for itself... Anub'ru was the child of Heart of Anubis, a Garou born into Anubis' sacred line. His father, known as Judgment was the child of Jackal's Chosen, the last Garou to be seen as the reborn soul of Anubis before Anub'ru himself. Further back his lineage traced through countless breedings, finding such legends as Anpu of the River Styx, Death's Vigil, Shadow's Pharaoh, and numerous others. These rumors began to circulate so heavily that multiple visitations were made to the Roseburg Caern.

With each Strider who reached the Caern, the Alpha became more agitated. It wasn't that he didn't like the Tribe, but he knew that they were rarely seen in numbers... and that usually when they were, it was an ill omen. Taking comfort only in the fact that Anub'ru's presence had brought more warriors to the Sept, even if it was for a small period of time, Neo disregarded it as much as he could.

This process continued for the rest of the lunar year, Anub'ru receiving gifts of wisdom and teachings from his tribe-mates who wanted nothing more than for the legacy of Anubis to live on. He was taken on missions to test his mettle and cunning by his brothers in Tribe, and each one he passed with flying colors.

Before long, Anub'ru was being taught the language his tribe called the "High Tongue," known by most people as Ancient Egyptian. This was deemed in higher priority than even English as far as his tribe-mates were concerned, for if he was to be the reborn soul of Anubis, he would surely need to know how to act and carry himself as the Jackal-God. Time and time again Anubis experienced flashes of memory from his past lives, all which coincided with the teachings he was receiving. These moments of clarity served to further the belief in his tribe-mates that he was in fact the reborn one. In addition to this fact, his lineage was foretold on his very flesh and fur; the markings of impeccable pure-breeding were evident upon him, right down to the lean structure and jackal's visage. He almost looked more like a jackal than a wolf, and his maturation over the year only served to embellish this guise.

It was deemed by his elders, his father included that he should be given the right to learn of the Rite of Descent Into the Underworld. Therein he would be tested further with his reactions to the dead; something which baffled even his other tribe-mates. He spoke to them at length of how he had always seen the dead, even when he wasn't seeing the other spirits of the Umbra. He spoke with them, and was often carrying their messages across the Shroud to his tribe-mates.

An air of elation began to spread through the tribe as a whole of their reborn-legacy. It was then, after he had been tested for his air of wisdom fully that he was to be given his challenge.

It was in the dead of night within the bawn of the Caern. Anub'ru was fallen asleep whilst staring at the stars in a meadow where he often went to contemplate all the strange things that were happening to him. He was resting peacefully, on a night where the air was crisp and clean and the animals of the area were mostly quiet, save for a few of the night owls that flew over head, hooting once in a while.

But just as he lay there, his dreams started to set in. He saw a flash of a majestic creature; one who appeared much akin to the Garou, only wearing a golden chest-ornamentation and a crest of a mantle surrounding his neck and shoulders. A bronze staff with a hook on one end was held in this being's hands, and he looked very much like Anub'ru himself. The awe-inspiring being turned and gazed down at him within his dream and spoke in a tongue that he had only recently come to know.

"You shall be judged." These were the only words that Anubis spoke.

Just as this dream was occurring, two shadows moved in on the sleeping cub. One stabbed a needle into him while the other pinned him to the ground. A mixture of chemicals seeped into his body, and while he had awoken from the sudden attack, he also was nigh upon immediately put back under as the sleep drugs took their effect.

When he awoke again, he found himself in a place that smelled of gas fumes and people. The air felt almost tangibly dirty and when he looked around he saw that he was surrounded by others who looked a bit like him. He smelled that they were Garou, and recognized the markings of his Tribal symbols on them. Some stood surrounding him whilst others were seemingly beside him, as if all 'awaiting judgment' like his dream had portended.

One individual spoke for the assembly who were facing Anub'ru and the other cubs. "I am Bane of Set, your elder." His words were spoken in the High Tongue, and carried an air of command and superiority.

"You have all been chosen for a test. Each of you has been seen as worthy of the trial we are about to put you through. You come before us ready to learn our ways, but before our teachings may be imparted unto you you must prove yourselves one final time."

Anub'ru sat there blinking as the chemicals finally purged from his mind. He listened to the speaker, wondering what had hit him but still trying his best to pay attention. It appeared as if he wasn't the only one who was having such issue, as the other cubs who were assembled were also staring ahead with a groggy and dazed look.

"We have set a task before each of you. You will be brought to a section of the sewers that we have cleaned out of all but a few threats. Once there, you will hunt down and slay any remaining Cainites. These individuals are in possession of a legacy weapon of our history... each of you have heard of the various D'siah our tribe-mates carry. Well, these Cainites stole it from one of our raiders when he was felled in battle, and they now hold it as a trophy. Once the Cainites are dispatched of, you will return this weapon to us. Know that some of you, if not all of you may fall... but your success will bring you much renown among your peers, and will grant you entry unto our most prestigious order."

Before the cubs had even the chance to respond, they were whisked away by the other Striders present. They were loaded into a van and taken into the city... the drive was only about ten minutes from the location of their meeting place (Central Park,) but it was quite the nerve-wracking ten minutes. While they traveled, the cubs spoke to one another in the back. Most of the chatter had little to do with the mission, and more to do with what the hell was going on. One inquired why she had been taken from her home to do the work of the older Garou, and another growled at her insisting that it was a great honor. The only one who sat in silence was Anub'ru.

When they finally arrived, the back end of the van was opened and the cubs poured out to find themselves standing (for the Homids) and sitting (for the Lupus) in line. The leader of the local Striders spoke once again as he pulled open a grate that lead into a hill and into the city's sewers.

"Alright kids. The area ahead is dangerous, so be on your guard. It's been barred off from the rest of the sewers best we can tell, so your trail shouldn't be too difficult to find. Get in, beat them down using what you have been taught, and bring back our D'siah. Any questions?"

The female spoke up again. "Yeah, do we get any weapons? You know, wooden stakes, guns, something?"

The leader spoke again, motioning with his hand toward the van. "In the back you will find a panel on the floor. There are wooden stakes for those who would care to utilize them." And with that, he turned and held the grate open as the homid-born cubs grabbed the stakes. Anub'ru began to pad slowly into the tunnel, enacting the spirit gift Blissful Ignorance. For a while, he just sat there and stared down the tunnel... he felt a foreboding feeling that something was amiss, and visions immediately assailed him of feet becoming tangled in various objects...

Just before the largest of the males began to trod down into the tunnel, Anub'ru turned and broke his gift to silently halt the Ahroun. Whispering as best he could in his form, he spoke. "Watch footing... danger ahead."

The Ahroun gave a look of disbelief toward him and shoved him out of his way. He had walked barely twenty feet into the tunnel when suddenly a springing sound went off and the sound of a metallic thread being pulled tight was heard, followed only by a gurgle and the two thumps as two squishy objects fell to the ground.

The others ran forward to find out what had just happened, along with Anub'ru who was already seeing the spirit of the one he warned materializing within the Shadow Lands. He gazed into the this dark world, almost oblivious of the surroundings of the physical one and lowered his head toward the spirit. Speaking only to the fallen one, his words were short. "You have been judged."

Moving to catch up with the others who were standing there in horror in shock, he looked to see that a silver garrote wire had severed the Ahroun's body cleanly in half from the waist. The two halves were still twitching and blood was draining out and into the sewer system. Anub'ru, pained that his comrade had not listened to him but resolute in the fact that he had tried to warn him spoke, taking a step beyond the corpse. "Elders warned us, and I warned him. If not want to die, pay heed and attention."

The others stared in disbelief at their dead comrade, then slowly brought their gaze to reach Anub'ru. He wasn't even facing them, only gazing down the tunnel a ways. The grim truth was that these vampires knew that werewolves lived in the area and they would give them the most troubling time they could if they were going to come pick a fight.

Walking with the others, Anub'ru's gait was slow and deliberate. He sniffed as he walked, ignoring the blood scent that had filled the air toward the opening of the tunnel. The area was dimly lit with the general sewer-lighting and each padding step was met with a mushy sound as they padded through grimy waters.

Leading them down a left turn just before a dead end, they came across an area where an electrical hum could be audibly heard. Once again, the aura of death was evident within the are, and Anub'ru turned to address the others. "Something wrong here, another trap."

The youngest among the homids nodded slowly. "Get ready, I'll bypass it." And with a moment's thought, he utilized the homid gift Jam Technology, essentially bypassing the electrocution-plate that had been placed there. Moving past it, the young one inquired of Anub'ru how it was that he was so capable of sensing these pitfalls.

"Anub'ru sees areas touched by death, and has visions of events to come... he is told it is his birthright."

The others looked curiously at each other, shrugging as they walked. They had heard of this one too, but weren't aware that they were in his company until he had spoken his name to them.

After bypassing a few more traps, the cubs present began to wonder how it was that Anub'ru hadn't already ascended to the rank of a Cliath or Fostern. His wisdom and cunning seemed to speak well of one who had such experience. Truth be told, even he was surprising himself.

They finally chanced upon an area that looked like a dead end, save for a boarded up hole in the broken wall. Not immediately sensing anything amiss with the hole, Anub'ru pawed at it to suggest it be torn down. The female gave it a swift kick, shattering the boards with very little effort. She smirked at her handiwork and gazed into the room to find what looked like an underground living space. The thing that Anub'ru noticed right away was a marking on the wall; it was the Sabbat ankh and it appeared to be painted in what looked like blood. At the top of the ankh hung a werewolf skull, obviously a Metis for the fact that it hadn't reverted back to wolf or man form. Eying that, the others became uneasy, while Anub'ru stared at it for a different reason.

He saw that there was a wraith bound within it. He figured it might be some form of fetish, and urged the others away from it. But the sad misfortune was that there was nothing else other than some random furniture within the room. Gazing at the ankh, it became apparent that there were candle-holders at each of the main points of it.

Gathering the idea, he suggested that there might be no choice but to trigger whatever effect it would have. He told them they would have to light the candles to find whatever it was they were looking for...

So the female who was the bravest of the group it seemed stepped forward and pulled out a zippo lighter. As she finished lighting the last of the candle-holders, a line cracked open on either side of the ankh, indicating that it was in fact a door. Dust began to fall from the cracks and it moved out and the left side moved outward toward the cubs, opening as a doorway. The moment the door was opened, the skull sprang to a freakish light as red orbs of light appeared within its eye sockets and a howling shriek emanated from it. It seemed the door bell had been triggered, and waiting inside of this secret room was a pair of identical twins and another man further back in the room who was covered in shadows.

The twins seemed to startle the female enough that they got the drop on her. Both of them kicked at the same time, sending her flying back into the opposing wall. The force of their attack was unlike anything she had ever felt, and she hit the wall and left a bit of an indentation in the concrete. Her spine popped in various places, but she wasn't finished... just angry. Immediately her and the other (save for Anub'ru) assumed their Crinos War Forms. Anub'ru shifted up to Hispo and enacted Blissful Ignorance again.

The three Garou launched themselves into the fray, while Anub'ru waited, watching what the shadowed one was doing. He ran up to the doorway and stared at the fight that was occurring, and immediately he underwent a metamorphosis becoming covered in a series of black tendrils and bands of tangible shadow. This unnerved Anub'ru, but also angered him as he saw the man begin to prowl toward his friends.

Once he had taken a step past, Anub'ru leaped up and clenched his fangs around the Lasombra's neck. He had misjudged the movements of the shadows, which seemed to feel chilled to the touch, but he felt the flesh tearing beneath them. Immediately the Lasombra spun around punching the Hispo in his snout. He felt bones crunch a bit, but it was nothing his natural regeneration wouldn't be able to handle.

Meanwhile the twins were working in uncanny teamwork to batter each of the wolves who approached them. As blows landed upon their bodies, they both seemed to wince, feeling each other's pain. But at the same time they seemed to know enough to strike at just the right time to counter a measure coming in to land on their brother. Their wherewithal seemed to discontent the Garou who were still young enough that they weren't used to working in the pack structure, save for the lupus-born members. And unfortunately, one of the two Lupus Garou was dealing with the Lasombra.

As the fight raged on, Anub'ru sank his fangs repeatedly into various body parts of the Lasombra. The cold tentacles battered him repeatedly, but he shrugged off a majority of the hits. They hit like mack trucks, but he was a resilient Garou. Grabbing the leg of the Lasombra he tripped it to the ground and in a flurrying onslaught he clawed three more times across its midsection causing it to gasp and cry out in pain.

This gave the Brothers a pause, and they turned to see their abbot being shredded by the one appearing as a Dire Wolf. Launching at them, the Crinos Garou regained their attentions, gashing one across the leg and the other across the face. Oddly they both suffered the pain of each wound, and they seemed to be wearing down even if their flesh was supernaturally resilient. They weren't prepared to go down without a fight, however... Spinning around in opposite directions, the Brothers came to collide with the other Lupus' head with their fists on each side of his head. The resounding crack could be heard echoing through the room as brain matter spurted out from his own maw, his entire cranium shattered. Just as he hit the ground, he began to surge back to life, seemingly healed by some unnatural force and in his furor he began clawing wildly at the two brothers. They repeated their trick, only this time sending a duo-punch to his chest cavity, shattering his ribs and tearing his lungs and heart apart with the debris of bone matter. Going down with a final gasping breath, he raked across the throat of one Brother, nearly severing the head off before he succumbed to the final waiting darkness.

The other Garou were enraged at seeing their friend go down, and their frenzy carried them to finish the job he had started. One went low to avoid the incoming attack from the second brother just as the other leapt high to kick him in the face, knocking him back a few steps. Propelling herself into the other brother, she grappled his head and ripped it clean off with a final snapping motion, evening the score for these frenzied warriors of Gaia.

The Lasombra felt the viniculum rating with his packmate snap and growled in his displeasure. A few tentacle swipes were aimed for Anub'ru who just barely avoided the blows as he ripped his claws down across the chest of the shadow-puppeteer. This exposed his chest cavity well enough for the Dire-wolf to stuff his snout into the broken rib-cage and deliver a fatal chomp to the Lasombra's heart.

Looking up as the passing moment of fear hit him, the Lasombra crumbled into a pile of dust, as Anub'ru shook violently to send the dust particles that had gotten into his hair elsewhere. He turned to watch as the Brother came down with a vicious punch across the female's back, but her supernatural toughness seemed to shrug the blow off. Just then she scraped her claws across the concrete ground and turned, launching herself back at him. Delivering two more swiping claw attacks as her other compatriot came in to claw at the Brother's back, he yelped in pain. Anub'ru used Hare's Leap to land on top of the Brother, falling to the ground with it, but clutching it's throat with his fangs as he flipped over, ripping the fangs and throat with him as he went. This dusted the third and final of the remaining Cainites.

Panting as he looked toward the other two, Anub'ru stood back up. He looked to see his Lupus compatriot lying motionless on the floor, and shook his head once again sensing the death that had occurred. Pausing for a moment of silence, he then turned to speak to the female. "We need to get the D'siah and grab our friend so he can be treated to the proper funerary rites."

She looked at him and snarled. "Do what you want. This shit is too much. I'm taking him and leaving."

With that she grabbed the corpse and hefted it over her shoulder, the other homid following her as she left. He turned to give a shrug toward Anub'ru as he left, hoping the Lupus would follow him, but Anub'ru felt he needed to continue on.

His muscles had been weakened by the numbing cold of those tentacles, but he had the drive to continue. He turned and padded into the room where the vampires had emerged from. Within was a pile of human corpses, one that was strung up with chains and rope and dripping blood into a bathtub, and a few drawings pinned up on the wall. The markings were maps of Central Park, and he figured they might be of use to the Sept there. Shifting slowly up into homid form, he grabbed them (naked as he was,) and turned to survey the room more closely. A desk in the room had a few books in it, one which was titled "Chronicles of the Dark Mother." He didn't know what it was, nor could he read it so he left it where it was, continuing to look through the desk. Inside of a drawer he found a key, and upon looking at it he determined it was too small to be a normal door key.

Taking the key and the papers, he turned to survey the room some more, but with nothing else visibly locatable, he walked back out into the other room. A careful investigation yielded some results. On the far wall there was a poster that had been crudely tacked up; the poster depicted a werewolf from a recent hollywood movie. Shredding it, he located a safe that was locked. Utilizing the key, it opened and inside was the D'siah as well as another copy of that book, only this one was hand-written and bound in what appeared to be human flesh.

He couldn't resist taking that copy, and with more than he had come for in hand, he set all of it down on the ground, reverted to his lupus form and picked it all back up. Turning to trot back to the exit, he paused, sensing the spirit of his fallen comrade standing there. Staring at him, he sighed and set down the objects, speaking slowly. "You have been judged. I will speak of your glory to your fellows, but you must travel to Gaia now..."

Understanding what the lupus was saying, he nodded his head and turned, vanishing from sight. Anub'ru picked up the items once more and charged off down the tunnel, avoiding the traps that he recalled until he emerged from the exit to meet up with the waiting Elders.

The other two young ones were already waiting in the van when he emerged, but the Elders stopped in front of him to look down. "What have you brought us?" The leader asked.

Lifting up on his hind legs and placing his paws on the leader's chest, he held the book, the maps, and the D'siah out for them to take. Taking the items from him, he looked them over and gave a curious grin. "You have brought me more than I asked for. One of these is a treasure of knowledge, and for that I thank you. Your wisdom shall be sung of at our next moot. And for returning the D'siah to your tribe, you shall be offered a place amidst the Swords of Night."

Anub'ru was caught slack-jawed. He had heard of the Swords, though he hadn't ever thought they would find a place for him amidst their ranks. Surely he was too young? A Cliath couldn't...

Then it hit him. The entire group were cubs. They had been set on a mission from their Elders. This wasn't just to test their abilities to enter the ranks of the Swords of Night, it was an all out rank challenge.

Jumping into the van to meet with the others, the Elders drove them back to Central Park. This time almost no words were spoke, and it seemed strange riding with the two corpses in the back end. Anub'ru kept staring into the eyes of the severed body, not nearly as unnerved as the others seemed to be... but when they finally arrived at the Caern, the Elders removed the corpses first and had them carried off to be tended to properly.

Anub'ru was led by the Elders away from the rest of the group, and questioned as to what all went down. He explained in vivid detail every occurrence that had happened, and they nodded with approval at his detail.

"Then honors shall be given to the young Lupus who fell. The Ahroun acted in haste and thusly he shall not be given a glorious name... but you. You shall be praised as the only amidst your group to receive the benefits of your challenge. Now go with the Eldest Theurge to prepare for your Rite of Passage, young one!"

Doing as he was told, his eyes were wide as he took in the fact that he was about to ascend into the ranks of his peers. He was to be named truly Garou, becoming accepted into the ranks of the Nation and into his Tribe fully. Padding alongside the Theurge, he caught a familiar scent on the air, and turned for a moment. At the heart of the Caern, he saw his father and he resisted the urge to yip at him... but he knew he had to learn to act more mature, and thus he kept it quiet knowing Heart would learn of his success in due time.

Entering the small wooden building that the Eldest Theurge used as his lodge, he brought the cub before a small fireplace. There he sat, listening to the eldest speak.

"You are Anub'ru, son of Heart of Anubis. You have faced challenges and trials of great danger and yet you have come from these challenges in greater wisdom. But know you of the spirits, young Theurge to be? Know you the ways of the directional winds? Know you how to tame fire? Know you what it means to call on Unicorn's grace? These are the lessons you must prepare your mind and soul for. Know you your history? Know you the tribes of your fellows? Know you the auspices? These are the things you must hold dear. Know you your legacy? Know you the lineage you bear? Know you the blood that courses within your veins?... This is the birthright you must carry."

Anub'ru listened with eyes that were wide and ears that were perked as the elder talked. He was interested in every word that was spoken, thankfully uttered in the Garou High Cant. The Theurge began anointing the cub with ritual oils and fragrances, and shaved a small area of his side bald. Pulling out a sharpened porcupine quill and some strange bluish-white ink, and finally withdrawing a small hammer, he set the quill to Anub'ru's flesh and began talking again.

"You are being prepared for entrance into the Garou Nation. You will learn your lessons. You will live the Litany. You will breathe the Spirits. You will walk with Honor, soar with Wisdom and run with Glory." With each passage he spoke, he tamped the quill painfully into the cub's flesh, proceeding to mark the tribal glyph for the Silent Striders on his left side. Just above it, he marked the symbol for the Lupus born Garou, and just below it the Glyph of the crescent mooon.

Proceeding to the cub's right side, he shaved another small patch and marked the marking of Cliath on him. With each marking Anub'ru winced but stood with pride. He was beginning to realize his destiny, and was truly starting to believe that he might just be this legendary individual reborn into the flesh... but he knew if that were the case that he would have some pretty big shoes to fill.

"You have earned the Wisdom to ascend to the rank of Cliath. Now come, meet your peers and receive your Rite of Passage before your people!"

With that, he guided the cub out the door. Strangely, while he hadn't noticed, the fur had already grown back over the Tattoos, and in their place the fur that grew over it was marked in the same bluish-white coloration with the symbols that had been etched into his flesh. These mystical tattoos were symbolic of his ascent.

Being guided out in front of his people, he realized that the Crescent Moon was full and high in the sky, and immediately he felt his rage all return to him. He walked with a renewed vigor and a confident gait to his strides, each paw step bringing him closer to the shrine at the middle of the spiritually hidden portion of Central Park.

When he arrived, he saw that there were nearly a hundred Garou in attendance. It seemed as many others had moon-bridged in to bear witness to this event. Why? Well, he was a living legend, even if he wasn't truly a Legend by Garou standards. He saw his Sept Alpha in the midst of the crowd, sitting in the front row. He also saw a number of the Striders who had come and taught him lessons, and he was truly starting to feel like he was part of something larger.

Stepping up before him was the Alpha of this sept, the Eldest Lupus, the Eldest Theurge and his own Father. Another man stood up with them as well, a curiously young looking man who wore Native American regalia. The rest of the crowd knew who he was, but this would be the first time Anub'ru had seen him.

Stepping up to speak before the mass of assembled Garou, the Alpha spoke.

"Brothers and sisters, children of the earth mother, lend me your attentions! We had intended to bear witness to several Rites of Passage this night, to welcome in the newest children of the Garou, yet we have some saddening news."

The crowd died down as they listened, focused intently on the proceedings.

"Two of the cubs perished while performing their challenge. Two others failed their test... but one cub shone above the others, persevering even in the face of danger and death. He trekked onward, when faced with the choice of abandoning his mission or facing a greater Wyrm threat. In his past, he has slain great Wyrm threats and shown great wisdom in his learnings. He has even shown guidance to his equals, and is marked the the keen ability to perceive things many Elders cannot. His Past-Live speak through him, carrying the wisdom of the ages. He is watched over by Owl, who shall be his Tribal Totem. And it has been prophesied that he is none-other than the reborn soul of the once and always great Anubis of Silent Strider ancestry and legend. He is known by his birth name, Anub'ru. He is son of Heart of Anubis, who is son of Judgement, son of Jackal's Chosen..."

The lineage listing continued on for some time, clearly noting the fact that he could trace his family all the way back to Egypt and to Anubis himself. This wasn't common of Strider Ancestry, and it was worth noting that the majority of them were so filled with wanderlust that they rarely had such close ties... but his line was unwilling to end; it had a destiny.

"...And now he comes before you all to receive recognition within the ranks of our society. Bear witness now, friends and family members!"

The Alpha stepped back and the first one to walk before the assembly was the Eldest Lupus. He stared into the eyes of the cub who sat on his haunches gazing back. He began to speak in the lupus tongue...

"I am Cuhulain, son of Cuhulain, son of Cuhulain... Lupus born member of the Fianna. You know what it means to run in the wilds. You have seen and smelled the corruption of the cities, and you have born first hand witness to the destruction that the Wyrm's minions have wrought upon them. Never lose yourself, and let not the temptations of the homid ways drag you from your true place in Garou society. Lupus are known for their wisdom and fury, their connection to Gaia and their undying resolve to protect Gaia's holy sites. Be mindful of who you were before, but be ready to step up as a member of your Sept."

The Lupus bowed his head respectfully and moved to sit beside him. Then the Native American dressed one walked to stand before him, addressing him in the Garou High Cant.

"I am Evan Heals-the-Past, and I am homid-born of the Uktena. As a Theurge, it is my place to tend to the relations of the spirits and their interactions with the Garou. Just as it is now your place. You shall learn to command and live among them, just as you shall learn to pay honor and homage to them. Their teachings will be yours to reap, and their gifts shall be your rewards. Walk in the blessings of Gaia, and find strength in your purpose. If your legacy be true, then you shall go far within this world and others..."

Evan smiled as he walked to stand on the other side of Anub'ru. Finally, Heart moved to stand before his son, a gleam of pride in his eyes. Speaking with his naturally commanding voice, he talked in a way that only a father could.

"I am Heart of Anubis and you know me well, son. I have born witness to events you have seen and been there through many that I hope you never shall. But I stand before you now as representative of the Silent Striders tribe. Ours is a tribe of tragedy and loss, and yet one of hope. You will learn what it means to be a traveler, for while our homelands have been taken from us, this has given us the right to claim any place we dwell as our homes. The roads shall be your trails and the stars shall be your guides. If you be the reborn soul of Anubis, then I know no words I speak will be able to compare to the deeds you one day shall see done. Prepare yourself for the coming trials, because... son, you have made me proud... but you haven't seen anything yet!"

He smiled, wiping a tear from his eye as he went to stand behind his son who's heart was racing with pride and excitement. Finally the Eldest Theurge stepped forward as the Rite-master and bowed before all present before speaking.

"These words have been heard, and the spirits have accepted them. By their blessing and with the right set unto me, do I bestow upon you the Deed Name of Eye of Anubis. For your quick words which saved the lives of your Tribe and Sept mates, and for your ability to see well into the lands of the dead, you have well earned the right to be known by this appellation. Further, it seems only fair that your Tribe has convened and chosen your family's special Rememberance name to be Anubis. Wear this name and your others with pride. Arise, Anub'ru - Eye of Anubis, Cliath Lupus Theurge of the Silent Striders!"

There was a communal cheer that passed through the Garou who were present. Eye of Anubis stood to greet his fellows, with both a look of pride and honor upon his otherwise lupine face.


	6. On the Road to Destiny

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**On the Road to Destiny...**

The next six months went by like a flash for Eye of Anubis. He spent much time serving the Eldest Theurge of his Sept back in Oregon, doing all of the menial tasks he was requested to perform with an amazing exuberance. He knew that nothing came without work, and that these tasks would one day allow him to graduate on to something greater... something many of the other Cliath did not seem to grasp. 

In exchange for his service, the Theurge taught him many things. He was taught to understand more about the worlds of the spirits as well as what kinds of creatures formed their ranks. He was taught what he needed to know about the Garou as a whole, and even some things that were beyond the simple understanding of a Cliath. After all, one who was so eager to learn and serve the Elders was not often seen. In his entire time at the Sept, he conducted himself with the best of repoire, learning when it was appropriate to utilize the honorifics of "-yuf" and "-rhya" and when it was proper to simply call an elder by their deed names.

He spent a great deal of time focusing his studies on his auspice role, and less on things like fooling around or fighting with the others. It wasn't to be said that he didn't scrap with them, but he was less interested in fighting with his own people, and more-so interested in taking out his aggressions on the Vampires.

Part of his time was spent under the tutelage of an Athro among the Swords of Night who would come and visit him. Walks-With-Ibis would come bearing new teachings, diagrams and videos and even sometimes personal recounts of stories where he had fought and destroyed a vampire. Of course his stories had carried great renown with them, for he had seen some of the most dangerous Cainites known to the Swords fall... his hand was even one that played the role in such destruction a number of times.

He taught Eye of Anubis about their society as best he could. He even taught him how to utilize the Silent Strider secret markings, that he could leave messages for other Striders. Much of the time he spent with Eye of Anubis aside from the teachings was focused on questions he had for the Cliath. He tried often to help him to channel his Past Lives, hoping to hear some great bit of wisdom or story from Anubis himself. He grew to be relatively successful in channeling these lives, though which incarnation would come through was still a mystery every time he channeled them. The only certain thing was that every one was at least a member of Anubis' lineage.

After some time, he taught him how to perform the Rite of Talisman Dedication upon himself that he might be more able to walk amidst the mortals. The idea that he didn't speak English never really came to mind nor did it fall to question... it was simply overlooked, since he spent most of his time conversing in Lupus or High Cant, every so often speaking with him in the High Tongue.

Eye of Anubis was sent out on missions with other Cliath as the wisest among them. Usually he was put in the role of Beta of a pack that he could guide them with wisdom, but so he would not be in need of directly controlling their habits. Usually he followed either a Philodox or Ahroun into battle, serving as an advisor or a secondary claw when necessary.

He began assisting the other Cliath in the Caern by summoning spirits and speaking to them on their behalves. It seemed to the Elders as if he was adapting to his role rather well. He gained much in the way of Honor and Wisdom renown, and on the few excursions he went out on to assist in destroying minions of the Wyrm (Fomori and the like,) he aided well enough to garner himself some tales of Glory.

It seemed he wouldn't be long serving the Sept as a Cliath, for he showed more of the responsibility of a Fostern... just not quite the renown levels for it. But that would change eventually.

Word was sent to the Sept that a Caern in Missouri was in desperate need of Garou to reinforce their ranks. After careful consideration, Neo decided that it might be a good place for Eye of Anubis to carve his own story, making waves there as he had in Oregon. So bidding him a fond farewell, he sent Eye to speak with his father on the night when he would ship out.

Approaching the hut where his father stayed, Eye poked his head in the door to see if he was awake. Sure enough, his father was meditating in solitude.

"Father..." Eye spoke. Normally he wouldn't disturb his father's meditation, but it seemed it was going to be necessary. He needed to speak with him at least once more before being shipped off to a new Caern.

"Yes my son?" Heart replied.

"I am troubled, father."

"Why are you troubled, Eye? Is this because you are to be sent to a new Caern?"

"Well, yes father. I have learned so much here, and have contributed as best I knew how... I feel as if I am being punished, cast out from the eyes of those I love..."

"Son, please come here. Take a seat next to me."

With that, Eye padded in with his tail hanging low, nigh upon between his legs. His gait was slow and sulky, and even his head was hung as he moved. Stepping over to where his father sat, he took a seat next to him. Heart was in his lupus form as well, and he turned to lay his head over his son's neck in a form of embrace.

"Son... I know it may seem that you are being sent off as a punishment. But you must understand. When the Alpha came to me to speak of whom he might send off to the Caern in Missouri, we both spent much time deliberating. We weighed many options and thought of many a great warrior. But it was I who suggested you be sent."

Looking at his father with a saddened look in his eye, feeling almost betrayed, he spoke in a hurt tone.

"But why, father?" He could muster no more words.

"...look, son. While many of the other Garou in this Sept have the rank, the rights, and the survivability to be sent off to do war in distant places, few of them display such a breed of wisdom as you. It was our thought that we could honor you and your achievements by sending you somewhere where there were more problems you were apt to handle. The Swords of Night have reported much in the way of Cainite activity there, and it's unlikely that they have many masters of that field. So son, we felt that the best individual for the job would be you..."

Starting to feel a little ashamed that he'd felt betrayed earlier, Eye lowered his head again. "You... you meant it as an honor?"

Nodding his head, he leaned over and licked his son's cheek. "Yes, of course we did. Yours is a legacy that cannot be contained within a single Caern. And besides, you and I both know ours is a line of travelers. Perhaps I will even visit you there in the near future, after you've settled in."

"Would you, father? I would greatly like to see you. I am not certain I am ready to be away from you for such a long time. I feel there is still so much I can learn from you..."

"In due time, my son. But you must at all times be prepared for the fact that I may die in combat against the Wyrm, fighting and dying an honorable death."

"Don't say that! You are a proud warrior, and no minion of the Wyrm will strike you down."

He chuckled at his son's words, still noticing some youth within him. Even if he had seemed to be older in his mindset, there were still portions of the Cliath that were child like.

"Son... I would not speak words of untruth to you. You must be prepared. Some day you will be the Patron of our line, and you will be called upon to pass it on. There is a line of wolves kept within the Wolf Sanctary in Merlin who all hold the Strider genes. I would ask that when you are older, you return to breed with them that your... and my legacy may continue."

Nodding his head, he showed his teeth in a form of grin. "Yes father. I shall return to mate..."

"Good. But I don't plan on dying any time soon, Eye. So, in the mean time, go forth and learn all that you can."

The lupus-born Cliath nodded his head and licked his father's muzzle affectionately. He had no love of the idea of leaving him, but he knew that he had to do his duty. And with that in mind, he turned with pride on his face (if only for his father's sake,) and marched back out the door to where a truck was waiting for him by the bawn of the Caern.


	7. Fatal Exception Error 404

**Legends of the Garou**

"**Eye of Anubis"**

**Fatal Exception – Error 404**

The very next thing that Eye knew, he had been popped into the back of a white van. The flight had been uncomfortable in the cold storage area of the airplane, and the luggage handlers were rather rough with his crate. He was a bit frazzled when finally the cage was opened and he came out, shaking and romping around the back end of the van. The driver was a kinfolk woman with blond hair and sunglasses on. She smelled of jasmine perfume which made Eye's nose twitch, causing him to sneeze incessantly throughout the duration of the trip.

When finally they got settled into the area, she let him out and took him into a hotel room. Sitting down on one of the beds while the lupus wandered in and sniffed around, she watched him and cocked her head. "Are you going to shift up?"

Seeing her talking to him, but not able to understand the language she spoke, Eye padded over to sit down before her. He figured she wanted his attention.

Pointing at herself, she spoke again. "Shift up, please? You know... like me. Homid."

That was a word he'd heard before, and before she knew it he was shifting (albeit slowly) to the homid form. When he stood, unlike many lupus, he had a black shirt, black slacks and black trench-coat on already as if they had been dedicated to him through the Rite of Talisman Dedication. Impressed she stared at him for a moment. His homid form was lean and wiry, sported a rough beard and generally looked middle-eastern in skin tone and look. He kind of looked like the common going theory of what a terrorist was supposed to look like, save for the lack of the turban.

Staring for a moment longer she finally shook her had and smirked. "Oh, well you'll fit in here _really_ well."

Of course, the sarcasm in her voice was evident to him and he tilted his head a little and talked in the High Tongue... and Ancient Egyptian wasn't a language she'd had any chance to study.

"What is it you want?"

Shaking her had and covering her forehead with her hand for a moment, she sighed and got up to use the telephone. While he couldn't understand a word she said, she was making a call to one of the Garou in the area that she knew – her brother.

A few awkward hours passed when finally there came a knock at the door. Rushing to greet the individual there, the lady opened it and in stepped a burly blond man with a long golden beard and runic tattoos on either arm. Immediately he turned and saw the jackal-like wolf (as he had reverted to his lupine form again) sitting laying down on the second of the two beds there and he grinned at the wolf. Eye could tell that he was being sized up by the man, but he didn't want to act in disrespect so he patiently waited.

Ivan stepped forward and then allowed a spark of his inner rage to carry him through the process of shape-shifting down to his lupus form. He was a big, gray furred wolf with obvious tribal markings of the Get of Fenris. Theirs was a tough group filled with some of the greatest warriors the Garou nation had to offer. Looking at him, the Fenrir grinned.

"Hey there Jackal boy. I'm Ivan Thunderhead Bjornsson. This here's my sister, Inga. She's my kin, so don't you go trying anything with her, you got me?"

"Yes Thunderhead-rhya." He could tell with some of the markings on the Fenrir that he sufficiently outranked the young Cliath, and so he paid him proper respect with an honorific.

"Huh. Not too many use those honor titles. I think I'm going to like you, boy."

"Anub'ru, Eye of Anubis is my name, Thunderhead-rhya. I have been sent here to..."

"Yeah yeah, I know why you're here." Ivan spoke as he cut Eye off. "You're here to help with the vamp-ies in the area, and that's fine. Of course, you look a bit puny to do a whole lot of good, but your breeding looks true at least. So, here's the low-down. There's a cabal of them there snake vamps, and you're gonna have to go and root one out. He's captured a few of the kin in the area, and we figured it'd be a good test of your mettle to see if you could deal with the threat."

Nodding his head as he settled into the idea that he was going to get to hunt some vampires, he grinned a little. "Eye would be glad to. Who else is going?"

The Fenrir laughed a little as he stared at the Cliath. "Who else? It's all you buddy. If you can pull this off, you'll earn yourself some great renown."

Of course, he was essentially being bullied into this without his knowledge. The Fenrir really didn't want someone else coming in to sweep up all of the glory of the fights, and he wasn't about to give it over to some Silent Strider who hadn't earned his respect.

"When does Eye undertake this mission?" He inquired of the Fenrir.

"When? Well, what about tomorrow. You sleep here for the night and tomorrow I'll have Inga drop you off there."

Nodding as the other wolf shifted back to homid form, he watched him walk over and hug his sister before heading out the door. The woman of course had no clue what words were said, as she didn't speak the lupine tongue. She just hoped that her brother had covered the basics so she could rest peacefully with the new arrival in the same place.

Thankfully for her, the rest of the night was pretty uneventful. She had the presence of mind to get take-out food, and decided that for the lupus a steak dinner would suffice. He seemed rather happy with it, even if she couldn't speak to him and he seemed appreciative.

Later on when they were sleeping, Eye had a dream wherein he was visited by the visage of a horrific creature. A skeleton that seemed to have blood flowing around it's bones and green scales forming a crown around it's head was standing before him and it grinned with a malevolence.

"You shall perish at my hand, young one!" The skeleton cackled in his dreams for what seemed like an unending period before finally he woke up. The lupus was panting when he sat up, looking about the room. The female who was there with him was already dressed and ready for the day, and she looked strangely at the way he seemed to glance about the room.

"You okay?" she inquired, obviously not getting any real response but seeming concerned anyhow. She shook her head at the lack of response, fully understanding he didn't get a word of what she spoke, and went to open the door. She patted her leg while motioning at him and he caught the drift enough to follow her out to the van again...

They drove for what seemed like an hour, though most of it was due to bad traffic. She had some errands to do, and wasn't going to be able to drop him off at the night club until later, anyway. So, for the time she simply went shopping, and took care of the thing she needed to do. Hours passed while he waited in the car, though she had the presence of mind to let him out to run a few times, lest he get antsy or otherwise leave her a 'present' in the van.

As night started to fall, she drove into town, stopping the van in the parking lot of a night club. He hopped out when she opened the door, and she pointed at the club. He figured out what she was intending, though he couldn't understand the words she spoke... "I'll be waiting here, unless things get too bad... then you're on your own."

Immediately he slipped into the Umbra to begin scouting around. He wanted to know just what kind of thing was here. And sure enough there were bane spirits a plenty. Thinking that such an entry might not be the best approach, he tried to sneak in just quickly enough to find a mirror to emerge from. Thankfully, the men's room within the club had just such a mirror, and before the banes could reach him, he leapt out of the mirror and landed in a rather filthy bathroom with only one stall and a piss-covered urinal. The air within there smelled faintly of flowers mixed in with blood, and there was a strange misty texture to the air. Almost pink in color, or so it seemed...

He prowled over to the door and nosed it open so he could see what was going on. The night club was rather empty, being that it really hadn't come about time for anything to get going yet. Sneaking around quietly, the only people who were there were setting things up. They didn't really seem to notice his presence, and if it seemed like they might face his way, he'd enact the spirit gift Blissful Ignorance, and become invisible to their senses. Eye began to think this mission would be a piece of cake. Turning to see the one who was behind the bar stacking up glasses, he inhaled deeply of the scent while staring at the man.

"Hrm... just a monkey-man..." He thought to himself, noting there was no scent of Cainite.

Meandering around, he came upon a set of stairs that lead down about a half of a floor and led to a metal doorway. Using his paw to knock at the door, he then enacted Blissful Ignorance, utilizing the power of the spirits to cloak himself from vision. A man wearing a snake-scale business suit opened the door. He was bald, and wore sunglasses even inside and had an aura of corruption that was just tangible. When Eye sniffed at him, all forms of alarms went off. He smelled greatly of the Wyrm, but more-so he was definitely a leech. This had to be the one he was looking for. The man came out of the room and walked past the invisible wolf long enough for him to sneak into the room.

He found a nice area behind the man's desk to hide, and waited for him to return. A video camera was in the room and it had a red light blinking as it panned throughout the area, but it hadn't seemed to pick up the jackal-wolf as he crouched, enveloped in the spiritual invisibility. When finally the snake had returned, he seemed already to be in an irritated mood. Muttering under his breath in a language that even Eye could understand, (the so-called High Tongue, which earned his ire as he felt a leech speaking it was doing it a disservice.)

"Fucking idiots. I'm going to have to get better workers soon."

That idea wasn't something Eye was wanting to let him do. Thinking that he had Gaia on his side, he leaped up at the back of the man, shifting quickly to his dire-wolf Hispo form. His jaws snapped down around the Serpent's shoulder causing him immediately to clutch that area in pain, but just as quickly to throw the over-sized wolf with seeming ease into the wall across the room. Slamming into the wall and falling to the ground, he got back up and leaped again, rage burning through his system as he snapped, burying his fangs deeply into the man's forearm and ripping a chunk of the flesh right off.

"Fucking wolves!" This was all the man yelled as he pulled out a pistol that he had strapped to his hip and blew a silver bullet right into Eye's shoulder. A loud yelp emanated from the Strider as he felt the searing agony burn like fire through his shoulder and into his chest... but he wouldn't let it stop him. Changing forms, he grew in size and adapted the all out war-form. His claws came crashing down on the man's face, leaving a gouge clean through his eye.

Immediately feeling like this fight could go poorly if he didn't do something quick, he enacted a blood power the Cainites called Majesty, halting the will of the Garou to continue fighting. Try as he might, he couldn't summon up the fury any longer, and he shifted down into his homid form, glaring at the Serpent.

"You wolves are all alike. All bark, a little bite, and mostly nothing more than material for wall-pelts." He spoke in the High Tongue again, only further inciting the rage within the Strider.

"You are an abomination on this earth, snake. I will end your days of corrupting the world."

Eying the Strider, the man readjusted his suit and grinned. "Corrupting? You have me mistaken for the failed branch of my family. I'm not a Follower of Set, I assure you. I am a Serpent of the Light, one who seeks their end just as much as you do."

Of course the honeyed words of the Serpent weren't enough to dissuade the Strider's anger or intention to kill him. This was evident on his face and the fact that he was reaching into his trench-coat, clutching something. Eye was waiting for just the right moment to toss a stake into the man's chest, but he couldn't just yet. The power was still holding him at bay.

Finally, the Serpent had had enough with the formality. He wasn't about to let some piss-ant wolf come into his establishment and start trashing the place. Oh no. Walking up to within mere inches of Eye, he stared at him with a sly grin, even as his own eye was ripped open and blood was seeping out of the wound.

"Well, it seems we're not going to be friends after all. Pity that, Strider."

And with his words, the man exploded in a violent series of attacks wherein he summoned unholy Cainite strength to absolutely pummel the poor Cliath. His fists drove downward, cracking and snapping bones, beating him into the floor and continuing until he had nearly turned Eye into a bloody pulp. Try to fight back as he might, the severe beating was taking it's toll and he just succumbed to darkness, feeling the cold chill of death just at the edge of his last moments of consciousness...

He heard mechanical beeping sounds. Then there were grinding noises, and high pitched spinning machines. He could feel his own body being sawed into, and there were some clamps that were holding his flesh apart keeping him from regenerating an open wound. The experience was utterly painful. While the entire experience was hazy, he remembered one of the men working over him pulling out his leg bones and shaking his head as he tossed them into a tray. Was this what the vampires did to their victims? He had nothing left to fight with, and he felt as if he was nearly dead... wait, dead? Wasn't he already dead? He tried to focus on the Shadow Lands, but he couldn't seem to. Figuring he must be already there, he didn't even try and fight what was happening...

The next thing he saw after passing out and waking up again, he was still lying on a cold metallic table. The machines were still beeping around him, and something was stuck into his neck. He was strapped down tightly so he couldn't move, and there was some kind of white bandaging tape covering his entire head and maw. Had he been mummified? If so, was he arising like one of the Pharaoh Kings?

...As interesting as that might be, he lost his train of thought when a man came into the room, taking note of the fact that his eyes were open.

"Oh good, you survived." The man spoke in what sounded like the Garou High Cant.

"It's a pity what happened to you. Good thing the boys rescued you just in time. They had been watching that snake for almost two months now, and they had planned to attack it as their rank challenge... too bad he escaped. But, I guess you're here and wondering what's going on. Don't worry about the fuzzy sight... it's a side effect of the sedative. I'm Doctor Bot, and you're in the most advanced hospital you'v ever dreamed about. Welcome to the Cyber Realm."

He was still dazed while he listened to the man speak. It sounded like his voice was echoing within a tin can, but he heard the words and felt somehow comforted in the fact that he was more or less being told he wasn't dead.

Speaking again as he shined a light into the eyes of the Lupus who winced painfully at the action. "You were about dead when they grabbed you and brought you here. Good thing too or you'd be in a memorial grave or something by now. But, let's see. To give you the run down, we've given you a new eye from the battering it took, replaced two of your legs, several of your ribs and spinal vertebrae, your hips and hip joints and cranial plating. And along with the legs, we figured you could use an enhancement... so we set in a full set of Lightning Claws. We figured as a Lupus you would be able to make great use of them."

He was overwhelmed with all of the chatter. The mere idea that parts of him were 'replaced' didn't sit well with him, but the drugs were still in his system. The man shook his head and informed him that he would be put into a coma for several days until the healing process had finished, and then reawakened after that point. Unable to fight this, he complied silently.

Unknown to him at the time, when he awoke again, almost a week had passed. He was feeling better, less in pain and he was no longer bandaged up like a mummy. A passing thought played in his head that he was almost sorry that he hadn't been mummified... but he didn't truly need to be dead, as he figured.

When he sat up, which surprised him that he was able to, he realized he wasn't strapped down. Furthermore, he saw he wasn't in the same room. He should have noticed the lack of beeping machines around him but he was simply glad to be around still.

Jumping down off of the cushioned bed he was on, he meandered around the room and came upon the door. A camera moved and buzzed whilst eyeballing him and a voice shot out from a speaker attached to it.

"Oh, good. You're awake. Come into the next room... the ones who saved you are waiting in the next room. They want to speak."

With that the door swung open, and Eye padded slowly and carefully into the next room where he saw two men sitting there and reading on what looked to be some virtual computer screens, except they weren't attached to anything.

"Uh. Hello."

The two men turned and stared at him, looking at one another and grinning.

"My man!" the first one, a man wearing his hair long and slicked back with a glowing red eye and what appeared to be computerized sunglasses, spoke. "Man dawg, you lookin' pretty dope for a wolf who was just pulverized and put through the meat grinder!"

The other man, a shorter haired guy with no outstanding features except for a metallic hand stood, slugging the first in the arm.

"How insensitive. Look, forgive him, he doesn't have the sense Gaia gave a Tsetse Fly. How are you functioning? Is everything working well?"

Eye stared at the two almost in disbelief, but when finally he went to speak, he was happy to note that nothing was different about his voice.

"You two are strange, but I thank you for bringing about my salvation. As far as Anub'ru can tell, everything function okay."

The two looked at each other again before looking back. The man with the metallic hand spoke again.

"Impressive. They do good work around here and things have advanced since the last time I was here too. Whenever you're ready, we'll take you back home... or, at least back to the city where you were."

Anub'ru looked at them questioningly. "How did you find Anub'ru? He was in Snake's lair."

"Aw man." said the first of the two men. "We'd been staking out the place for a few months, and were going to move in on him. But when we arrived to check it out, we saw Inga's van out front and knew that Dunderhead must have sent someone to screw up our operation. He doesn't want us to reach the same rank as him..."

"Oh. Anub'ru is sorry to have interrupted things. He was only attempting to kill Snake as he was instructed by Thunderhead-rhya."

"Man, don't give him the respect that you'd give a fuckin' turd! He ain't worth the trouble. And he just about got you killed, dawg!"

They conversed for a while longer before finally the two led him out the main gate of the hospital-complex. He was in an entirely new Umbral realm it seemed, watching strange spirits patrolling the area. But the two of them simply led him to a Geomid (this one appearing as floating blue Octahedron) and requesting transport to the nearest Anchorhead to disembark from the realm.

The Octahedron scanned the three of them, and suddenly uploaded them to the deep net of the Realm where they raced along virtual pathways until re materializing in a stream of ones and zeros (yes, in binary...) on the other end. They stepped onto a platform, followed by the curious Lupus and were suddenly dumped into the penumbra, where-from they could reach the physical world again...


End file.
